Queerspace

What is queerspace?

queerspace provides a safe and supportive space to obtain information and access services aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of the queer and LGBTIQA+ communities. queerspace is staffed by queer identified practitioners, counsellors, group facilitators and community engagement workers. we are a community space run by drummond street services that advocates, supports, researchers and engages through community driven voices and events with the LGBTIQ community.

queerspace recognises the challenges facing individuals, partners and families. Building strong, healthy relationships can be challenging for a number of different reasons. At queerspace we offer a range of different therapeutic supports including individual, relationship and family counselling. We run groups based on what the community tells us is needed. And we run community events, including in collaboration with queerspace youth for young people in queer communities.

Sensitivity to the diversity of our communities and individuals’ needs, including sexual and gender identities

Evidence based approaches

What makes queerspace unique is:

The team at queerspace is made up of queer-identified practitioners, recovery support workers, case co-ordinators, community engagement co-ordinators, communications specialists, researchers, educators, and administrators across the LGBTIQA+ spectrum.

Practitioners come from a range of disciplines and include case workers, counsellors, family therapists, social workers, and psychologists. The highly skilled team also includes specialists in queer intimate partner violence and family violence, alcohol and other drugs, working with trans and gender diverse/questioning young people and their families, queer family formation, and group work.

We work in a queer affirming way with people across the LGBTIQA+ spectrum and across all types of intimate partnerships and family forms. We work with people and their partners and families to help develop relationship skills, facilitate difficult conversations, plan and form families, and promote well-being.

We work with people who are separating from intimate partnerships, including where children are involved. We also work with people post-separation and those experiencing intimate partner violence.

We provide gender questioning, trans and gender diverse young people and children and their families with the space and experienced listening skills to enable them to find their way through their gender journey. Whilst taking a whole of family approach, we understand the strain and estrangement that can occur from family of origin for queer individuals. We work with a queer lens and a historical understanding of this estrangement and we understand the importance of chosen family. We support young people alienated from their family due to queer issues.

We support individuals who are coming out to loved ones, family members, friends or within different life contexts, such as work, education or sport. We understand the complexities of these processes and take a nuanced, supportive and culturally aware approach to coming out and to the questions of family (of origin and of choice) that arise.

In addition, we support anyone who is queer or who has a queer family member and has mental health issues or alcohol and/or other alcohol or other drug use issues. We offer a range of different supports including counselling, case management and support from people with lived experience.

We run groups for queer communities across a range of issues. The Village, for example, is for parents to come together and, in a facilitated process, to be able to speak freely together and to gain a deeper understanding of their trans and gender diverse young person. This also allows a space for parents to process their own fears, anxieties and joys with other parents in a facilitated and supported environment.

We speak regularly on queer health and well-being on community radio, with a regular spot on 3CR Tuesday Breakfast show and queer show ‘In Ya Face.’

Promoting Wellbeing & Supporting Relationships

Building strong, healthy relationships can be a challenge when dealing with issues relating to intimacy, communication, conflict, parenting and families.

There are many complex and challenging issues we can support you through at queerspace. Issues arising around anxiety, depression, social anxiety, gender questioning, difficulty with employment or education, experiences of violence (in all of its forms) whether past or current. We also understand the complexities and work to unpack the experience of lateral violence.

If you are a queer person experiencing intimate partner violence or family violence, including if you think you have a part to play in creating the violence, we can work with you. If when you contact us you are no longer in crisis, we offer regular support from workers who can help you with day to day management of life while you work through the effects of violence.

We work with individuals in many different ways including one-on-one therapeutic supports, family therapy, peer support, and group processes.

We welcome any individual who identifies as queer and who is seeking help or change, whatever the issue, whatever your experience, whatever your questions.

queerspace supports social connections through peer support, group education and queer events.

Pathways to care

queerspace offers a pathway to care that includes counselling for individuals, people in intimate partnerships, and families experiencing, or at risk of: mental health issues such as anxiety and depression; or damaging effects from alcohol and drug use; or the effects of intimate partner violence or family violence.

queerspace can also offer short-term psychological counselling, in partnership with Inner North West Medicare Local’s (INWMML) Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) program. This program aims to address moderate mental health conditions based on a treatment plan by a General Practitioner (GP).

We also support queer youth

queerspace is committed to supporting LGBTIQ+ youth, through specialist counselling, peer support and community learning activities, to have a voice in the development of programs and activities, to connect to supportive peers and be part of positive youth-led initiatives.

queerspace youth and queerspace collaborate to put on intergenerational events such as the transgender day of visibility 2018. Read more about it here.

How do I make an appointment?

We have a whole of family and community-based approach. So you might contact us as a parent of a young queer person, or as intimate partners looking for support, as a single parent, or as someone questioning their own sexuality. You might see us for personal counselling, parenting classes, seminars, or to join a facilitated group.